Book Description

"This book analyses one of the most dramatic episodes in the transformation of British politics immediately after the First World War. Before 1914 Liberals and Conservatives had vied for power, whereas after the 'red letter' election of 1924 the polarisation was effectively between Labour and the Conservatives. In the intervening decade the balance of probability favoured the emergence of a three-party system, but this system failed to develop primarily because of serious tactical mistakes during 1922 by the chief Conservative supporters of Lloyd George's coalition, and also because of mistakes by the Liberal leaders over a longer period. Michael Kinner has investigated political activity in virtually every constituency during the early 1920s, and he demonstrates that although the Conservatives distrusted Llyod George because of their dissatisfaction with the weak and evasive leadership of their party by Austen Chamberlain. The author shows that Chamberlain wobbled several times during 1922 over the future of the coalition, and that it was Chamberlain, rather than Sir George Younger, who was behind dissent over the abortive election of January 1922. This study indicates that even after they had toppled Llyod George ant the Carlton Club Meeting of 19 October 1922 most Conservative M.P.s favoured an alliance with his Liberal followers. They did not finally discard such an alliance until after their narrow victory in the 1922 election. Two appendixes examine the position at the Carlton Club Meeting of each Conservative M.P.; and the nationwide pattern of alliance and conflict between Conservative and Liberals in the confused election of 1922."-Publisher.